The Champ, Until May

Published: November 8, 1994

All right, so the punch did look a little leisurely. Still, it was harder than the one that knocked out Sonny Liston in 1965. Obviously, Michael Moorer has one of the glassier chins ever worn into combat by a heavyweight boxing champion. Otherwise he would not have found himself staring upward into HBO's overhead camera on Saturday night.

All that said, George Foreman is now the legitimate champion -- or, more accurately, he comes as close to legitimacy as it is possible to get in a corrupt, brutal and greedy business. For a few moments it was thrilling to watch Mr. Foreman, at 45, relieve the 26-year-old Mr. Moorer of the title that was not, in any event, going to be his for very long.

But those who want to celebrate Mr. Foreman's victory over time had best do so in a hurry. The nature of what is too charitably called the fight game is going to guarantee that the next acts are ugly. First, some suitably unthreatening opponents must be found in order for Mr. Foreman to hold on to the title for a few months.

The search will not be easy. Even a moderately skilled opponent would be too much of a threat to the millions to be made if Mr. Foreman can be propped up for a while. The economics of this little drama require that the corpulent Texan wear the crown until May. That is when Mike Tyson gets out of prison.

No doubt Mr. Foreman has the wit to take his money and retire early in the Tyson fight. It would be a shame to spoil the memory of his last, best Saturday night. And besides, at his age, the boxing game is not worth taking a beating over.